Country Event Contextualisation National Internet Gateway (NIG) Sub-Decree (2020) This sub-decree was designed to strengthen government control over the Internet by requiring all Internet service providers to route their traffic through a centralised control point, the National Internet Gateway. Law on Measures to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 and other Severe and Dangerous Contagious Diseases This law has been particularly used to control the dissemination of certain information deemed sensitive or potentially detrimental to the management of the health crisis. Elections The legislative elections in Cambodia, held on July 23, 2023, faced significant criticism for taking place in the absence of the main opposition party, the Candlelight Party, which was not allowed to participate. These elections were widely seen as tailored to ensure the victory of the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), led by Prime Minister Hun Sen, as part of an effort to validate the transition of power to Hun Manet, the eldest son of Prime Minister Hun Sen. The Inter-Ministerial Prakas No. 170 on Controlling the Publication of Websites and the Handling of Social Media This Prakas grants extensive powers to government ministries to monitor online activities, block websites, and censor any content that may be perceived as threatening national security, public order, and social interests. However, it lacks clear definitions, giving authorities broad discretion in its implementation. CAMBODIA Fig. 1.3B: Contextualisation for Cambodia’s timeline, 2020-2023 The multitude of repressive legislation and regulations bottom countries in the World Press Freedom Index in Cambodia has caused the country’s score to drop of 2022, placing 142nd out of 180 countries with a in civic rights indices. For instance, Cambodia scores score of 43.48/100 and falling even further in the 43 out of 100 in Freedom House’s Freedom on the 2023 Index, now placing 147th out of 180 countries Net Index in 2021 and 2022.29 It is also one of the with a score of 42.02/10.30 CAMBODIA: DEMOCRATIC STATUS OF THE COUNTRY (according to the Freedom In The World index) PRESS & MEDIA FREEDOM STATUS OF THE COUNTRY (according to the World’s Press Freedom Index) 50 43 43 43 150 44 144 144 2020 2021 147 142 100 30 Index Score Index Score 40 20 50 10 0 0 2020 2021 2022 Year Freedom House, Explore the Map, (n.d.), available at: https://freedomhouse.org/explore-the-map?type=fiw&year=2023 2023 2022 2023 Year Reporters sans frontières, Classement, (n.d.), available at: https://rsf.org/fr/classement Figure 1.4: Digital Space & Online Freedom Status (Freedom on The Net) and Media & Press Freedom (World Press Freedom Index) Ratings for Cambodia over the years, 2020-2023. Cambodia 45